Bakassi Group Launches Bid for Self-rule.

President Jonathan

Jude Okwe

Bakassi Self-determination Front, one of the groups leading the agitation for an independent Bakassi state has hoisted the national flag of the proposed country in the oil-rich island.

It has also established a radio station at Dayspring Island to propagate the aspirations of the envisaged nation.

The liberation flag has the colours of blue, white and red festooned with stars and flying over the landscape of Dayspring Island to the consternation of Cameroon gendarmes.

According to the group, its decision to float a radio station was part of the efforts to sensitise the people and awake their consciousness to the essence of self-determination and thus realise the ultimate goal of the struggle - self determination.

The radio station commenced transmission on August 6 at midday and operates on 4.2MHz and 5.2MHz band.

This development is coming four days after the expiration of the two-week ultimatum which the group issued its kinsmen and the Cameroonian occupiers to vacate the ceded territory or be crushed by the impending rebellion on the island.

Commander-General of the group, Ekpe Ekpenyong Oku, in his maiden broadcast to the people of Bakassi said, “Please for the umpteenth time, we plead with our people to leave Abana now. The fight is going to be the thickest and fieriest now that our brothers from the Northern and eastern borders have fully arrived. Bakassi we hail thee.”
He gave a stern warning to all travellers on the sea of Bakassi Peninsula to steer clear of the island on August 11 and 12, saying the two days were not ideal for them to navigate the coast for whatever reason.

“There will be no sea movement so that you don’t have cause to regret. There shall be no movement of boats from Ikang or Marina beach in Calabar to Cameroon on these two days. Be warned,” he said.

Furthermore, he called “on men of goodwill, individual, human rights organisations and the people of Bakassi to join hands in resisting and fighting the present international conspiracy against us.”

A statement earlier issued by him in Calabar, Cross River State capital, claimed that arrangements had been concluded with some international liberation groups to assist the Bakassi natives in the battle ahead.

“Ours will be a classical story of the elephant and the ant. The elephant will soon be driven frantic with ants all over its enormous bulk. The elephant will be so harassed and will find no respite and will dash itself against a tree trunk.

“Throughout history, injured people have had to resort to arms in their self-defence where peaceful negotiations fail. Bakassi people are no exception. Our right to self-determination is imminent; some will die, but some will live to reap from our labour,” the Commander-General stated.

It would be recalled that on July 9, 2009 following the signing of the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) in 2006, a nascent group in the now ceded territory, “Bakasssi Freedom Fighters,” had vowed to become an independent state if Nigeria surrenders sovereignty to Cameroon.

Tension had reached boiling point as the reality of the handover of the island began to dawn on the natives but ahead of the August 14, 2008 exchange of sovereignty at Government House Calabar, leader of the militant group, Tony Ene, was killed in a mysterious road accident on Calabar-Itu highway.

Ene and his group were the first to hoist the Bakassi national flag at Abana, the erstwhile headquarter of Bakassi Local Government Area with the rising sun as its symbol but the Nigerian government brought it down threatening Ene and his colleagues with arrest.

However, the government of Cameroon is said not to be resting on its oars as it has resorted to subtle diplomacy by reaching out to those that matter on the Nigerian side so that the situation does not degenerate into internecine conflict even as authorities in Yaounde have deployed more troops to Bakassi with all of them put on red alert to forestall any eventuality.

Osun defends Soyinka’s appointment

By Our Reporter - The Nation.

Prof Soyinka

Osun State has dismissed the protests of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola against the appointment of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka as Chairman, Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) as hogwash. 
A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said Oyinlola’s claim that the CBCIU does not belong to Osun is the most despicable comment to have emanated from the former governor.
Okanlawon wondered how the centre has been funded since its establishment, pointing out that Oyinlola delivered a speech on January 7, 2009 during the commissioning ceremony where he stated that his administration provided $680,000 for the procurement of archival materials.   
The statement added: “It must be stated here that for Oyinlola to have personalised the centre by making himself the chairman either in or out of office through the law setting it up was another height of impunity for which his administration was notorious.
“This was a major odium that was yanked off the law passed under Oyinlola through an amendment signed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola in July this year, now called “State of Osun Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (Amendment) Law 2012”.
It explained that the choice of Soyinka was informed by the “genuine commitment and determination of the current administration to the promotion of our people’s heritage”.

Can Amaechi save Governors’ Forum?

By Sam Egburonu.

Amaechi

Since the exit of Bukola Saraki and the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi as the helmsman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, the fortunes and image of the group have been subjects of debate. But with the current disagreement over state police and other national issues, NGF seems mortally threatened, writes Sam Egburonu  

Until the military emerged from the blues and hijacked the Nigerian political power, following the 1966 military coup, governors in the country were only ceremonial leaders. This status has since changed as governors are today elected chief executive officers of their states.

Besides wielding immense political power in their various states, the governors have, through the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), also tried to control the central polity. 

During the headship of the former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, the forum achieved high level of unity and literarily dominated the political scene as it became obvious that its voice on any issue of political importance could not be ignored.

Currently, however, open disagreements amongst members and the leadership suggest that all is no longer well within the forum.       

The coming of NGF

Before independence in 1960, governors for the original three regions and the Governor-General for the federation exercised ceremonial powers and were seemingly satisfied with that constitutional role. Only the Premiers for the regions and a Prime Minister for the federation had executive powers. 

Even then, there was no express provision in the constitution for the Premiers or governors to constitute themselves into a special pressure group for exclusive political interests and none of them tried to openly arrogate to himself such power.

Also, because of its unitary and command structure, military governors that served all through the military era were directly answerable to the Federal Military Council under the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. There was therefore never a time such governors reportedly constituted themselves into a unique power bloc that directly challenged the Federal Military Government on sensitive national issues.

Even at the return of civilian democratic government in 1979, when elected governors became chief executives of their states in a federal arrangement, wielding enormous powers, they could not immediately constitute themselves into a power bloc. Being elected into office on party platforms, it was, however, thought they would be answerable to their respective political parties and, therefore, could not be in any association or forum.

At first, governors elected under the platform of a party worked more as a family. For example, it was common to hear of meetings of governors elected under a party, like the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) or even the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Later, opposition parties began to meet and work together against alleged corrupt practices of the NPN-led federal government. This was the situation until the military took over power again.

However, since the return of civilian government in Nigeria in 1999, governors have not only assumed immense power for themselves and the office but have gradually evolved into the most aggressive power bloc through the Nigerian Governors Forum. 

But as Mike Ukaegbu, a lawyer explains, the forum may have managed to assume immense power but it remains only a pressure group. “Nigeria Governors Forum has no place in the constitution. It is only an informal meeting of state chief executives which has no force of law. Therefore, any decision, observation or action made by this group has no legal backing and whenever such decision contradicts the constitution, it must be considered null and void and of no effect,” he said.

Its many battles

Though criticized by many, the Nigerian Governors Forum has become a voice to be reckoned with whenever any critical political decision is to be taken in Nigeria. Aware of this fact, the forum has taken on the federal government when it matters most, sometimes having its way.

For example, when the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was about to leave office, and the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) set out to shop for its presidential candidate, NGF, under the leadership of the then governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, allegedly played significant role in the emergence of two governors, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan as presidential candidate and running mate respectively. At the height of the crisis that enveloped the country just before eventual death of then President Yar’Adua, NGF also played decisive roles as an influential stakeholder.

Besides these, the forum’s decisions on virtually every public issue have been viewed seriously both by the federal government and other Nigerians.

Also, some of the governors use their advantaged position, as controllers of the state resources, to hijack state power, determining who would contest and win elections and who would be given appointments at state and federal levels.

They did not stop there as their have informally emerged as one of the major stakeholders that can dare challenge or disagree with the federal government on any major issue. One of the well celebrated economic issues governors have openly disagreed with the federal government is resource control.  

Another of its united battle against the federal government is on the issue of deductions from the Federation Account. It had accused the federal government of illegal deductions of funds used in offsetting oil subsidy payments from the Federation Account and resolved to head for the Supreme Court to seek redress.

Rising from a meeting in Abuja, the governors also constituted an Economic and Security Intervention Committee to meet President Goodluck Jonathan on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing on agriculture and other economic regeneration.

A communiqué read by the chairman of the forum and Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, reads in part: “The forum deliberated extensively on the continuing illegal deductions from the Federation Account towards offsetting oil subsidy payments, Excess Crude Account and other unconstitutional withdrawals by the federal government and unanimously resolved to go to court to seek legal redress … On the recurring insecurity in the country, Forum sympathised with the government and people of Plateau State on the recent loss of lives and property and appealed to the federal government to urgently commence the recruitment, intensive training, equipping and proper deployment of security agents across the country. Forum also called on the customs and immigration services to tighten security at the nation’s borders.

“The Forum resolved to constitute an Economic and Security Intervention Committee, with membership from Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Abia, Plateau, Adamawa and Zamfara States, to meet with Mr. President on an emergency economic intervention plan focusing initially on agriculture and other economic regeneration programmes for employment generation in the northern states.”

This added to the current battle over state police have attracted flacks and applause from critics and followers. While majority of Nigerians are praising NGF for its position on state police, federal government top officials are worried and seemingly happy at the reported disagreement within the forum.

Some government aides believe that the governors are overstepping their bounds. A source from the presidency, for example, told The Nation this week that NGF is arrogating to itself a role the constitution did not give it. Instead of paying attention to governance, the governors, said the source, are trying hard to portray the federal government as the problem of Nigeria. “This should not be the case. If everybody does his work well, the current security challenge would be easily overcome. But everybody is looking for a scape goat and the governors seem to have seen it as an opportunity of acquiring more power. But we know some of them are already abusing the enormous powers they currently wield,” he alleged. 

Can Amaechi cope?

Following the open disagreement between majority of northern governors and the leadership of Nigerian Governors Forum, there are insinuations that the current chairman of the forum, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State may have lost out in the power play and may no longer be able to mend the broken fences. 

Following the inability of the leadership of the forum to resolve the matter during last Tuesday’s meeting in Abuja, and the decision to postpone the matter until after the Ramadan break, The Nation learnt that many regional and caucus meetings have been held to arrive at sectional positions before the next meeting. A source, close to one of the governors in the North-Central geo-political zone, however, said that the zone may never be able to come up with a united position. He told The Nation that aside Governor Jonah Jang, who has openly said he was not part of the meeting where northern governors allegedly agreed to opt out of the earlier decision, many other northern governors actually want state police but cannot say so now. 

Jimi Agbaja, a top politician in Lagos corroborated this fact. He told The Nation that from what is happening within the Nigerian Governors Forum, “It has become clearer that people are looking more at ethnic or sectional interest rather than the general interest.”

He, however, disagreed with the view that the disagreement is a pointer that Amaechi may have lost out and may no longer be able to effectively lead the forum. “I don’t see this development as a proof that Amaechi has lost or is losing control. No! It is just that something happened after the initial decision and this has to do with northern or sectional interest,” he said, adding, “But for me, I vote for state police and I do not intend to render apologies to anybody on this matter. I do not see why a state should make laws but cannot enforce it. What we should be talking of today is how the states would relate with the federal government.” 

The debate and the numerous stakeholders’ meetings continue as the nation holds its breath. 

Trial of fuel subsidy suspects.

by Punch Editorial Board.

UNFOLDING events in the N304 billion fuel subsidy trial have raised niggling doubts about the commitment of the Federal Government to bringing the errant firms and individuals to justice. At the commencement of the trial, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, who was expected to lead the prosecution team, failed to appear in court. And contrary to Adoke’s statement that “Before we arraign any suspect in court, we will ensure there is water-tight evidence to make their prosecution easier”, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission curiously withdrew charges against four fuel subsidy fraud suspects, even before charges were pressed against them. These clearly present a foreboding of an unfolding nightmarish farce and gives serious cause for concern.

According to the counsel to the EFCC, Oyedepo Rotimi, the charges against Durosola Omogbenigun and his company, Integrated Resources Limited, as well as Peter Mba and his company, Pinnacle Oil and Gas, were mistakenly instituted. The anti-graft agency had alleged that the suspects conspired to collect over N2bn from the Federal Government as payments for the importation of some litres of petrol. But Rotimi claimed he had instructions from the AGF to withdraw the case because the charges were “misconstrued by the prosecution” and were “inadvertently filed” against the defendants. As usual, the excuses from the AGF ring most hollow.

The questions are: At what point did Adoke and the EFCC know that the charges were mistaken? Does it mean that they file criminal charges against people without proper investigations? And why would such a serious case be treated with such levity? Yet, Adoke has boasted that “the trial of oil marketers is neither suspended nor stopped at all. This government is committed to its anti-corruption agenda and it has demonstrated it with many cases in court.”

But the dreadful truth is that this administration has not shown the much-needed zero-tolerance attitude to corruption. How many of these “many cases in court” have finally been dispensed with and how many convictions have been secured? The EFCC prides itself on having convicted over 500 persons out of 700 prosecutions since 2003. How many of these are high-profile convictions? So far, the corruption cases against some ex-state governors have seen a lot of motion without movement. A typical example was the case the EFCC preferred against the erstwhile governor of Delta State, James Ibori. In 2009, the Federal High Court in Asaba, presided over by Justice Marcel Awokulehin, absolved Ibori of all the 170 charges levelled against him, only for a court in London to find him guilty of some of the same charges and sentence him to 13 years imprisonment, three years later.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria is right to insist that the withdrawal should have been left for the courts of law to decide. Indeed, it was another fraudulent way to delist some companies from the list of those indicted for the fuel subsidy scam. Recall that the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy management formerly led by Farouk Lawan had indicted some companies for their involvement in the scam. However, while presenting the report to the House, Lawan convinced his colleagues to remove the names of two companies from the list. Zenon Oil boss, Femi Otedola, appeared later to allege that Lawan and the clerk of the committee, Boniface Emenalo, collected $620, 000 in bribes from him to remove the name of his company.

It is even surprising that, up until now, we are still talking of collecting evidence to prosecute Lawan and his accomplice when there is overwhelming evidence to prosecute them immediately. For instance, Lawan, who initially denied collecting the bribe, later recanted, claiming that he collected it to use as evidence against Otedola. Also, the House Committee Chairman on Narcotics, Adams Jagaba, whom Lawan allegedly gave the money to, has since denied ever collecting it, threatening to sue Lawan if he did not stop blackmailing him. But the wheel of justice appears stuck.

Surely, the fuel subsidy scam will not go away until justice is served. Corruption has done a lot of damage to the reputation of Nigeria. In a recent assessment conducted on Nigeria’s investment climate in 26 states for the year 2011, the World Bank observed that companies in the manufacturing and service sectors lost 2.3 per cent and 2.2 per cent of their revenues respectively to corruption. Manufacturing firms, the report noted, reported paying 3.2 per cent of their sales earnings in bribes.

While we continue to treat corruption with kid gloves, more serious countries have continued to deal corruption a deadly blow. In China, a number of people involved in corruption cases have in recent years been jailed, while some of them have been executed. For instance, a former Chinese Communist Party chief who was responsible for investigating corruption, Zeng Jinchun, was executed last year for taking more than $4.7m in bribes.

In Israel, former Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, was impeached in 2008 on charges of fraud, breach of trust and acquisition through fraudulent means. In May this year, he was also indicted for accepting a bribe to promote the construction of housing projects. Last month, he was cleared of two charges of corruption but found guilty of another count by a Jerusalem Court.

Nigerians want to see some seriousness in the fight against corruption. The successful prosecution of the fuel subsidy scam suspects is particularly of great interest to Nigerians, considering the crisis, sufferings and deaths, the so-called removal of fuel subsidy caused in the country in January. The culture of impunity which has stunted our growth as a nation must stop. This sordid saga is far from over.

Edo: As stakeholders endorse new PDP leader.

By Remi Adelowo.

Anenih and Tukur

The massive defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently held governorship elections in Edo State has become a wake-up call for major stakeholders in the party who are desirous of charting the way forward, reports Remi Adelowo

In spite of the public show-off displayed by leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the run down to the last governorship election, boasting that Governor Adams Oshiomhole would be shown the exit from office, not a few of them knew that securing victory at the polls was akin to achieving almost the impossible.

But against earlier permutations that the PDP could spring surprises in the state, the party not only lost in areas believed to be stronghold of its notable leaders, it also lost in the entire 18 local government areas of the state to the rival Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

With the victor, Oshiomhole and his supporters, still savouring success, and the loser, Major Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, with his backers quietly licking their wounds, major stakeholders of the PDP, The Nation reliably gathered, have, in the last two weeks, engaged in informal discussions on the way forward for the party.

For fear of being consigned into political obscurity in the next four years and even beyond, a source disclosed that few days after the election, some leaders of the PDP in Edo State met at the Abuja residence of Chief Mike Oghiadome, the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, to discuss a range of issues affecting the party.

Others at the parley included elected PDP members at the state and National Assembly, most notably a former Speaker, Edo House of Assembly, now a member of the House of Representatives and an influential financier of the party, Hon. Friday Itulah, who decamped to the party a few months to the election.  

Top on the agenda at the session was an appraisal of the process leading to the choice of Airhiavbere as the party’s candidate; strategies deployed for the campaign and its shortcomings and the negative public image and roles of certain leaders which allegedly contributed to the failure of the party at the polls.

As regards the candidature of Airhiavbere, the session, according to sources privy to it, regretted that the retired Major General was no match for Oshiomhole at the polls.

According to the source, “one issue that kept cropping up was that the party’s candidate was a hard sell. There was also a unanimous opinion that the PDP primaries, which produced Airhiavbere, was not transparent enough.

“For instance, a question was asked about how long Airhiavbere has been in the party to have defeated established members like the former governor of the state, Professor Osarinheme Osunbor and Professor Julius Ihonvbere, both of whom, some party members believe, could have given Oshiomhole a good fight at the polls.”

Osunbor and Ihonvbere, it would be recalled, never hid their disenchantment of how they were ‘rigged out’ at the primaries. Ihonvbere later decamped to ACN and campaigned vigorously for Oshiomhole, while Osunbor, though still formally in PDP, tacitly endorsed the governor for a second term in office.

Another issue that engaged the attention of those at the meeting was the negative perception of the party and some of its leaders.

The source added, many leaders at the meeting were afraid to talk about this issue, but a few summoned the courage to allege that the image of the old leaders, like Chief Anthony Anenih and his contemporaries, was doing more harm than good to the party.

At the end of it all, it was resolved that there was an urgent need to rebrand the party with a new set of leaders that would be saddled with the responsibility of repositioning the party for the challenges ahead. “PDP may go into extinction in Edo State if nothing is done as quickly as possible,” a source quoted one of those at the meeting as saying.

In the interim, The Nation gathered that Oghiadome was endorsed as the new leader of the party in the state, being the most senior figure of PDP at the seat of power.

His choice, findings revealed, is seen as strategic. He not only has the ears of the president, he is also seen as an uncontroversial figure that has all it takes to pull the party together at this critical time.

Oghiadome and the president have indeed come a long way. Their closeness began when they both served as Deputy Governors of Edo and Bayelsa States respectively about ten years ago.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether Anenih, the political godfather in Edo State, will give way for younger elements clamouring for a change.

Fuel subsidy fraud: FG, PDP panic as suspects threaten to expose deals

By Yusuf Alli, Abuja.

• Governors wade in to give suspects ‘soft landing’ • Proceeds allegedly used for 2011 polls • How PPPRA receptionist, firm director got into trouble

There is an uneasy calm within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over threat by some of the fuel subsidy fraud suspects to open up in court on what the cash was used for.
Some of the suspects are bemoaning their fate, wondering why they are being prosecuted as they were allegedly used as fronts to source funds for the 2011 general elections
It was learnt that some of the suspects allegedly spent the cash to sponsor governorship elections in some states.
Uncomfortable with the development, some PDP governors have waded into the travails of the embattled suspects. The governors have assured the suspects of what an insider described as “soft-landing”. They have also promised to fund the litigation cost of the suspects by hiring for them crack defence counsels.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has so far arraigned 25 suspects (in two batches) in connection with alleged fuel subsidy fraud.
The first batch comprises seven companies and 13 individuals in relation to N13, 403,504,083billion.
 The second group comprises five suspects.
Although the arraignment of the suspects was a bold statement by the government that there will be no sacred cows, the trial is causing some disquiet in the ruling PDP. The Presidency is said to be particularly bothered by the turn of events.
A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Some of these suspects were used as fronts by some businessmen, party bigwigs and a few government officials. In fact, there is a Sierra-Leonean among them and a confidant of a PDP chieftain went to secure bail for him.
“The only excuse the confidant gave is that the suspect is a friend to one of their children. But most people could read between the lines.  I think the Sierra Leonean was just being protected to avoid opening of the can of worms.”
Though the source was convinced that a substantial part of the subsidy funds was used to fund the 2011 elections, he said this was without the knowledge of the Presidency. When the President got to know the magnitude of the subsidy fraud, he decided to take the bull by the horns, irrespective of whose ox is gored, he said. 
“A syndicate within the oil sector came together to pool funds for the 2011 election to ensure that the PDP retained its firm grip of power. In fact, two or three of the suspects are known to some PDP governors as fronts in view of the roles they played in their election. The biggest challenge confronting these influential people borders on threats by some of the suspects to open up in court,” he said. 
 To opposition parties, however, the Presidency cannot claim not to know that the subsidy cash was being diverted to unworthy causes by people close to the PDP whose members were in charge of either the PPPRA or other agencies of the oil industry.
 The Nation learnt that PDP chieftains are so worried about the backlash the trial of these suspects could have on the fortunes of their party in 2015 because some of them were innocent businessmen before they dabbled into politics to feather their business nest and became polluted.
“One of the suspects was alleged to have complained bitterly on why he had to be arraigned by the same PDP administration he had assisted to retain power in some states.
“The suspect also queried why he had to be singled out among other directors of his companies while others were shielded.
“Some governors have been trying to wade into the complaints by some of the suspects and how to ensure soft-landing for them. They seem not to know how to go about it, considering the fact that the subsidy scam has generated so much interest, including that of the international community. This has forced the governors   to opt for Plan B by looking for crack defence team to handle the matter.
“Nobody could say whether the choice of crack lawyers would assuage the threats of these highly-placed suspects to open up or not when proper trial begins, “ he said.
A governor said: “There is no doubt that some of the suspects are known in power corridors unless we are all pretending. It is, however, courageous of the government to put them on trial to show to all that closeness does not amount to fraudulent acts.”
Fresh facts have, however, emerged on how a staff of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Fakuade Babafemi Ebenezer, and a director with Akintola Williams Deloite accounting firm,   Ezekiel Olaleye Ejidele, got into trouble over the fuel subsidy scandal.
According to findings, while Ebenezer was a Facility Receptionist/Clerk for PPPRA where products are discharged, Ejidele was in charge of audit. Both suspects operated with officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and other agencies at the ports where products were discharged.
EFCC sources said they were arraigned for allegedly signing some papers indicating that some products were discharged whereas investigation proved the contrary.
It was, however, learnt that some oil chiefs are asking why some other officials involved in the management of The Petroleum Subsidy Fund (PSF) who also authenticated documents by suppliers have not been arraigned
A former Commissioner of Police said the conspiracy over subsidy fund fraud could be deeper than what the media are reporting
He said:  “The PSF management is a chain. Besides the PPPRA, others involved are the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank, the DPR, Budget Office, Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), and Oil Marketing Trading Companies.”

“All these so-called forged documents passed through many desks before payments were effected to the marketers. Where are those who managed these desks when the fraud was perpetrated?
“The principles of Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) are such that no single oil marketer could perpetrate fraud or divert funds without the collaboration of some people or desk officers in government.”

PDP deteriorates every day —ACN, CPC.

 by Leke Baiyewu.

The Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change have said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party may cease to exist if their planned merger to tackle it in the 2015 general elections succeeds.

The opposition parties said the PDP was scared of the planned merger, adding that the leadership style of the PDP would lead it into oblivion.

The ACN and the CPC were reacting to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, Olisah Metuh, who said self-interest and sectional agenda would not allow the planned merger to work.

Metuh, in the statement, had said, “They (electorate) will choose between an alliance, where personal interests will ceaselessly riot and yield no support to national stability, and the PDP which has remained the symbol of national unity and progress.

“At the appropriate time, they will decide whether to entrust their great nation to the hands of regionalists, doomsday prophets and pro-anarchists or to the safe hands of the PDP. Common sense will prefer the latter.”

However, the spokesperson for the ACN, Prof. Lai Mohammed, said the statement showed the PDP feared threats the merger posed to it.

He said, “What is the interest of the PDP in whether the merger works or fails? It only shows it is fearful. I want to assure you that when the merger works, it will be a surprise to the ruling party.

“Our fear is that when it works, the PDP may not exist anymore because the party deteriorates every day.”

In his reaction, the spokesperson for the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said Metuh’s statement indicated the PDP’s was ready to thwart the merger plan. He further said the party was guilty of imposing its programs on the people, which would consequently lead to its rejection by the electorate.

He said, “What is evident in the statement is that the PDP is poised to enforce its anti-people policies on the people. The party plans to work subterranean and discretely, as one of its shenanigans, to scuttle the merger plan.

“The PDP is a party that operates like the mafia and if it were to be in the United State of America, many of its leaders would have been tried and jailed. What Metuh said showed that the party plans to scuttle the plan by us, the opposition, and we are ready for it.”